


Wind and Fire

by Sayl



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 11:42:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13612641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sayl/pseuds/Sayl
Summary: The Shepherds stop to help a town razed by Risen, but Robin and Lon'qu get separated in the chaos.





	Wind and Fire

_                  Smoke hung thick in the air… _

    In the darkness, the only reliable light source was that of the fire that stretched across the village. Towering flames bathed the burning town in a crimson glow, flecks of glowing ash floating down like snow. Risen littered the streets, wielders of every sort of weapon any human could use.

   Most notably the casters. He’d never seen so many magic-wielding undead in one area. Arcfire had already laid waste to the town before the shepherds had arrived. It was the glow of the smoldering city that had drawn them here. If there was a place people needed help, Chrom would not turn a blind eye.

   Though part of Lon’qu wished he might have. He hadn’t seen a living person that wasn’t part of their entourage since they’d arrived. Either they were all dead or had long abandoned the soon-to-be ruins. But it was too late for the shepherds to follow suit: They’d traveled too far in searching for survivors, splitting up to cover more ground.

   The terrain had changed, though. Buildings collapsed and closed off pathways that were previously accessible. The three groupings moved through the streets, clearing out the roaming Risen before they could move on and continue their carnage elsewhere.

    But being in the wrong place at the wrong time had split them up even further. Robin had gone ahead to find higher ground so she could get a better picture of their situation and find a way to get every one back on the path to meet up and make it out. Lon’qu had been close behind, narrowly missing a blazing archway as it crashed down, threatening to crush him. He made it out with little more than singed hair on his arms, but the shepherds behind him were cut off, forced to go around the long way.

    She’s more eager now to get a better viewpoint than before. They manage to cut through the Risen without major injury, but they have to use caution with no healers anywhere nearby if something goes wrong. He sticks close to her…Closer than he normally would. She must have noticed if he’s reading that glance she gave him correctly. She doesn’t comment, but he grunts in reply anyway.

   Instead, they come across a chapel. It seems to be the only building made from stone, and therefore not crumbling to ash. Flames lick at the structure, but it stands tall. The bell tower is a good vantage point: if they can make it up there without incident.

   No sooner did they push through the doors did they grab the attention of the walking dead within. A blast of Thoron makes quick work of the archers in the back as Lon’qu’s blades cleave through the enemies just inside the door. Even if the inside isn’t ablaze, the building is still filled with smoke, the heat drawing even more sweat from his skin. His eyes sting from both, but he follows the Tactician up the spiral steps, body turned sideways to keep watch for anything that might follow them up.

   It’s a small tower, there’s barely room for the two of them at the top with the bell hogging most of the available space. They’re practically back to back as she looks out over the city and he watches the stairway. He doesn’t move, out of fear that he not only might touch her, but might knock her over the edge, seeing as there is no banister here. He can hear the roar of something downstairs, but he can’t make out what it is. His jaw tightens in anticipation.

_                      Hurry up, woman … _

_**“**  We need to move **,”**_  he warns, his instincts telling him they shouldn’t linger too long. If something does come after them up here, there isn’t exactly room to fight without risking a long drop and a sudden stop.

   “Give me a second,” she retorts, holding her hand out to the side as a signal to wait. He grumbles, trying to discern the noises down below. He’d initially thought it some sort of Risen creature he hadn’t seen before, but the sound is too constant, almost like a crackling hum. A few moments later, he sees a fleck of ash blow into view from the stairs, a faint glow starting to form as the sound grows louder. Now he knows exactly what it is.

_**“** Robin  **!!”**  _He bellows, throwing a glare over his shoulder. Just as he shouts, she turns around with that look on her face, the one that says she has a plan.

   “ I’ve got it, we’re good! Let’s go !”

  Swiftly, he dashes forward, blade in front of him as they quickly make their way down the staircase. The smoke gets thicker and he erupts into a coughing fit as they reach the ground level. He moves his free arm across his face, burying his nose and mouth into the fur on his sleeve. Robin blocks her face with the sleeve of her tactician’s cloak.

   The stone walls might not be flammable, but the floor and pews were a different story. The blaze had seeped in through the open door, spreading across the inside of the church. There’s no risen left inside, but there’s no way out either. The main entranceway is collapsing in on itself. There’s a side entrance just a few meters away but it’s behind a wall of flame, it’s door hanging limp from the hinges as it burns away.

   No matter which way they go they’ll suffer severe burns at best, and at worst…

   Lon’qu was a man who reacted based on instincts and orders, and instincts were failing him here. He was no strategist. He glances to Robin, searching for some clue as to what she’s thinking. He can’t see much past the sleeve besides her furrowed brow.

   Just when he thinks they’re going to have to make a run for it and risk gruesome death, she whips another tome from her coat, but it’s not the Thoron from earlier. Before he can even register what she’s doing, a blast of air bursts forward, strong enough that it feels like he’s going to be pulled into it.

   The flames follow, intensifying into a bright flash as they blow forward just as someone grabs his hand. He’s being pulled to the side just as quickly as the gust bursts forward, carrying the flames out of the way of the nearest exit just long enough for them to get through. The flames lick at his boots and the tail of his clothes as the fire re-converges back to it’s original location. It happens so quickly, it feels like he blinked and missed the whole thing, but now they’re outside, and though the fire still rages through the city, it’s no longer threatening to consume them.

   He’s still for a moment, his head taking a moment to register what just happened. Once he does, he looks down at his hand to see that Robin’s still holding onto it, seemingly just as stunned about what happened. Lon’qu’s shoulders tense suddenly and he yanks his hand back, giving her a look of disapproval.

_**“**  A simple direction would have sufficed  **.”**_  He grumbles, pulling his hand in to his side, as if she’s going to try and grab it again.

  She cocks a brow at him in response, her mouth tilting up into some sort of half-smirk, half look of exasperation. But her eyes don’t completely mask the mild amusement in them.

   Robin doesn’t bother to explain that there wasn’t time for that, or any other obvious response. They both know it even if he’s not willing to admit it out loud. So instead, she settles for a sarcastic (if not somewhat teasing) ~~———~~

 

"You're welcome."

**Author's Note:**

> Another drabble for a prompt from my tumblr account


End file.
